March 31, 2025
What could have been a historic moment at Norway’s Andøya Spaceport ended in disappointment. The first launch of the ‘Spectrum’ rocket, developed by German startup Isar Aerospace, failed just 30 seconds after liftoff.
Europe’s First Commercial Orbital Rocket Attempt
On March 30, the first commercial orbital rocket launch from continental Europe was attempted at Norway’s Andøya Spaceport. At 12:30 PM local time, the Spectrum rocket lifted off amid high expectations. However, shortly after launch, the rocket lost control and crashed into the sea, with the explosion broadcast live.
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The launch initially appeared to be proceeding successfully, but approximately 18 seconds in, problems with the vector control system began to emerge. Within the next 10 seconds, all first-stage engines shut down, causing the rocket to completely lose control and crash.
Fortunately, the rocket carried no payload at the time of launch, and safety systems functioned properly, directing the rocket to fall into the sea. No casualties or facility damage were reported.
Characteristics and Technology of the Spectrum Rocket
The Spectrum rocket stands 28 meters tall and consists of two stages, designed to transport up to 1 ton of cargo to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Notably, it uses liquid oxygen and liquid propane as fuel, and is equipped with 10 Aquila engines developed in-house by Isar Aerospace.
Thomas Reiter, a space propulsion expert at the European Space Agency (ESA), commented, “The Spectrum rocket represented an important attempt to increase Europe’s access to space. While the failure of the first launch is regrettable, failures and learning are inevitable parts of rocket development.”
Ongoing Analysis of the Accident Cause
Isar Aerospace has released part of their initial investigation results in an official statement. According to early analysis, engine propulsion system malfunction or structural defects are possible causes of the accident. Additionally, a pre-launch fuel leak of approximately 2.3% and abnormal sensor data are being investigated as potential contributing factors.
Daniel Metzler, CEO of Isar Aerospace, stated, “We collected extensive data through this test and plan to thoroughly analyze the issues and develop improvements for the future.”
Aerospace experts unanimously agree that this failure represents an anticipated challenge in the process of developing new rocket systems. They emphasize that the success rate for first launches is historically very low.
The Future and Challenges of Europe’s Space Industry
The Spectrum rocket challenge was an important attempt to strengthen Europe’s self-reliance and competitiveness in the space industry. Europe has primarily relied on the French company Arianespace for space launches, and competition has intensified recently with the growth of private companies like SpaceX in the United States.
Jan Woerner from the European Space Policy Institute predicted, “For Europe to maintain competitiveness in the space sector, various launch options and technological innovations are necessary. The challenges taken on by startups like Isar Aerospace will contribute to strengthening the European space industry ecosystem in the long term.”
Future Plans: Rising Again After Failure
Isar Aerospace has announced that they have already begun production of second and third Spectrum rockets. The company stated they will quickly prepare for the next launch regardless of the outcome of the first launch.
“We will develop stronger and more reliable systems based on the lessons learned from this launch. Failure is not the end but part of the journey toward success,” emphasized Markus Brandtner, Technical Director of Isar Aerospace.
The company aims to diversify Europe’s space industry and will continue preparations for commercial missions such as small satellite launches. With the small satellite market growing rapidly worldwide, securing competitiveness in this area has emerged as an important challenge.
Challenges and Opportunities in the Space Industry
The space launch industry has always posed significant challenges to new entrants due to its high technical difficulty and risks. Even SpaceX experienced several failures in its early days, with long periods of trial and error before achieving its current success.
The failure of the Spectrum rocket demonstrates the challenges faced in the early stages of Europe’s commercial space industry. However, European space companies, including Isar Aerospace, are using these challenges as learning opportunities to advance their technology.
Despite this setback, experts predict that Europe’s commercial space market will continue to grow. They anticipate that European companies will play an increasingly important role, particularly in niche markets such as small satellite launches.
Isar Aerospace’s next launch attempt will be closely watched as an important indicator of the future of Europe’s space industry.